I've never heard of a guard donkey ! I've been bugging my husband for a pair of alpacas but maybe we'll have to get donkeys. We have a bear (most likely a cub) who has created his own ingress/egress in our 8ft fence to drain our bird and squirrel feeders.

Yeah, guard donkeys are used quite often for both sheep and goats (and I guess cattle, too) in Texas (and probably elsewhere). I would recommend getting one that is used to and gentle with people--and likewise hell on varmints and unwanted critters!

As I said, my parents had a guard donkey left on their property after some goats were moved off (none of the animals were theirs). Sally (the donkey) would follow my mom around, and one day chased off . . . . something . . . . that my mom never even caught a glimpse of.

They're interesting animals, but some do have a stubborn streak and/or can be mean to people. So be choosy about which . . . ahem . . . donkey you bring home! (It wouldn't let me use the other term!)

I really wouldn't mind composting, but Yogi (as he came to be known) put the kibosh on it, for sure.

We also have raccoons, big ones, and both bears and raccoons were getting in the garbage, as well as neighborhood dogs (including ours). One summer night several years ago I heard a ruckus up by the trash, and ran out in my nightie to chase off whoever the culprit was. There, lit by moonlight, rose up the biggest raccoon I had ever seen, clutching a pizza box. When he snarled at me over the top of it, I quickly gave up and ran back into the house!

Now we have this thing called a 'Bear Bin' that has a locking door so we don't have to risk life and limb challenging critters that get into the garbage.

Last edited by jinxnit55 : 03-20-2013 at 10:21 PM.
Reason: forgot main point